The Party System

political parties

In our country, there are several political parties that stand for the election. The presence of the political party is actually a healthy situation for the nation. It gives people a choice to make a more evolved and effective decision. Moreover, it drives the other political parties to get better than their competitors to win elections and rule the nation. So, this is the basic backdrop of political parties. But what is a political party? Why do we need a political party? Let’s find out.

Introduction to Political Party

A political party basically, is a group of people. These people come together to contest elections in order to hold power in the government. It is a way to mobilize voters to support common sets of interests, concerns, and goals. The primary role of the political party is to fix the political agenda and policies. So, each party tries to persuade people by claiming their policies are better than those of other parties.

In a broader perspective, a political party is a means via which the people can speak to the government and have a say in the governance of any country. So, every political party must have three key components:

· Leaders

· Active Members

· Followers

Functions of a Political Party

Every political party has a number of functions to perform. Here we have listed some of them.

· A political party contests elections by putting up candidates.

· In countries like the USA, the candidates are selected by members and supporters of a party.

· On the other hand, in countries like India, the candidates are chosen by top party leaders.

· Every party has different policies and programmes. Voters make a choice in accordance with the policies and programmes liked by them.

· In a democratic country, a large group of people that has certain similar opinions group together and form a party. Then then, give a direction to the policies adopted by the government.

· Those parties which lose elections form the opposition. They voice different views and criticise the government for their failures and mobilize opposition to the government.

· Political parties shape public opinion. With the help of the pressure groups, the parties launch movements for solving problems faced by the people.

· Parties even offer access to government machinery and welfare schemes. The local party leader serves as a  link between the citizen and the government officer.

Importance of Political Parties

A democracy cannot exist without the presence of a political party. This is clear from the function performed by the political parties. In case, there are no political parties then:

· Every candidate in the election would be an independent candidate. Any individual candidate does not have the efficiency to promise any major policy change to the people. In such a scenario, no one will be responsible for how the country is run.

· In the long run, only a representative democracy can survive. Political parties are the agencies that gather different views on various issues and present them to the government.

Party System

There are three types of party systems:

·  One-Party System

· Two-Party System

· Multi-Party System